Posted: August 8th, 2013

The Markeat on Park Project

The task is to write a REPORT of a Markeaton Park which is located in DERBY.
I don’t need you to write an introduction.
The task:
Markeaton Park (including the Mundy Play Centre) is Derby’s most visited and heavily used park and one of the most visited destinations in the East Midlands area, with a wide range of recreational and sporting facilities and attractions. However there has been a lack of investment in the park’s infrastructure over many years, with the park becoming tired and worn out. Many of the facilities on offer no longer meet the needs of today’s visitors, with increasing competition from other attractions. Despite this the park still retains a good reputation as a place to visit, but a continued lack of investment could lead to a self perpetuating spiral of decline.
The park faces many challenges to halt the slow decline and to retain and build on its city and regional standing as a visitor attraction. Some of the key issues and features of the park include, but are not limited to:
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1. Reduced takings at the Mundy Play Centre, possibly indicating a fall in visitor numbers, reduced availability of facilities through restricted opening hours and less willingness of visitors to pay for below quality facilities and attractions
2. Intermittent and irregular opening hours on a number of the park’s private concessions, meaning that visitors are not sure what will be open when they visit.
3. Declining budgets available to maintain and manage the park, leading to reduced levels of staff and possible closure of facilities or further reduced opening times.
4. Slow decline in horticulture standards and features such as loss of herbaceous borders and bedding, indicating a reduced level of care by the Council.
5. Poor visitor experience when entering the park, in particular from the A38 leading to the main car park.
6. The park itself is a 20th century park set out within an 18 century historic parkland and remains an attractive place to visit for informal recreation, such as family picnics. However many people are unaware of the size and extent of the park as access is poor, with few footpaths and lack of signage.
7. Its size allows for the staging of major city events, such as the annual firework display and funfair. However this increases the pressure on the parks infrastructure and historic parkland.
8. Deterioration in the parks historic fabric, such as the listed Orangery, coupled with some poor quality spaces such as the stable courtyard that detract from the visitor experience.
The Challenge
• To halt the slow decline and restore the park’s standing as a visitor attraction.
• To increase visitor numbers
• To increase income that can be used to reinvest in the park in improved maintenance and management and provision of higher quality of facilities.
• To protect and improve the parks historic and natural fabric
A Way Forward?
The Council has submitted a successful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund under the Parks for People programme http://www.hlf.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx. The award is for a grant of around £2.4 million towards a project costing around £3.4 million and was confirmed in December 2012. The Council now has to spend the money on improving various aspects of the Park. Details of Markeaton Park and the outline Masterplan and the proposals which are accepted can be found at: http://www.derby.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/parks-and-open-spaces/markeaton-park/
The grant can only be used for specific purposes and the project needs to deliver the following 5 outcomes set by the Heritage Lottery Fund:
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1 How will you increase the range of audiences using and enjoying the park?
2 How will you conserve and enhance the heritage value of the park?
3 How will you increase the range of volunteers involved in the park?
4 How will you improve skills and knowledge about parks through learning and training?
5 How will you improve management and maintenance?
Produce a Management Report to the Managers of Markeaton Park about certain key areas of the Project. Your main focus must be on suggestions that improve the operational aspects of the Park.
1. A significant amount of the HLF funding is for capital expenditure to refurbish areas of the Park which have fallen into dis-repair such as the Craft Village. Other than an improvement to the free-to-use equipped playground and some pathways very little is planned for the remainder of the Mundy Play Centre at present. You are required to make operational proposals about additional improvements and facilities that you would propose for the Mundy Play Centre. Your proposals must be in keeping with the HLF funding requirements (see page 2) and should generate positive income for the Park. Your proposals must be underpinned by relevant ‘operations theory’ to support your arguments.
2. Professional presentation and format – appropriate academic citations, references etc
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